Karen

Karen カリン Karin
Art from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Gender	Female
Eye color	Silvery-blue
Hair color	Silvery-blue
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Kanto or Johto
Trainer class	Elite Trainer
Generation	II, IV
Games	Gold, Silver, Crystal, Stadium 2, HeartGold, SoulSilver
Elite Four of	Indigo Plateau
Specializes in	Template:Type2s

Karen (Japanese: カリン Karin) is a master Template:Type2 Trainer and member of the Johto Elite Four.

In the games

In the Generation II and IV games, Karen is the fourth and final member of the Elite Four. She must be defeated before facing Lance, the Pokémon Champion.

Karen prefers Dark-type Pokémon because she likes the bad-boy image and dark power they portray.

Pokémon

This listing is for Karen's Pokémon in the video games in which she has appeared.

Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal

File:GSC Karen.gif Elite Four Karen Indigo Plateau Gold, Silver, and Crystal Elite Four and Professor Karen Oak Indigo Plateau Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $4700

Types: Dark Unknown Held item: None Umbreon♂ Lv.42 Faint Attack Dark   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Mean Look Normal   --       Sand-Attack Ground   --       Types: Grass Poison Held item: None Vileplume♀ Lv.42 Stun Spore Grass   --       Acid Poison   --       Petal Dance Grass   --       Moonlight Normal   --       Types: Dark Flying Held item: None Murkrow♀ Lv.44 Faint Attack Dark   --       Whirlwind Normal   --       Pursuit Dark   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Types: Ghost Poison Held item: None Gengar♀ Lv.45 Lick Ghost   --       Spite Ghost   --       Curse ???   --       Destiny Bond Ghost   --       Types: Dark Fire Held item: None Houndoom♀ Lv.47 Crunch Dark   --       Flamethrower Fire   --       Roar Normal   --       Pursuit Dark   --

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

First Battle

File:KarenHGSS.gif Elite Four Karen Indigo Plateau HeartGold and SoulSilver Elite Four and Professor Karen Oak Indigo Plateau HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $5640

Types: Dark Unknown Ability: Synchronize Held item: None Umbreon♂ Lv.42 Double Team Normal Status   --       Confuse Ray Ghost Status   --       Faint Attack Dark Physical   --       Payback Dark Physical   --       Types: Grass Poison Ability: Chlorophyll Held item: None Vileplume♀ Lv.42 Stun Spore Grass Status   --       Petal Dance Grass Special   --       Acid Poison Special   --       Moonlight Normal Status   --       Types: Dark Flying Ability: Super Luck Held item: None Murkrow♀ Lv.44 Sucker Punch Dark Physical   --       Faint Attack Dark Physical   --       Pluck Flying Physical   --       Whirlwind Normal Status   --       Types: Ghost Poison Ability: Levitate Held item: None Gengar♀ Lv.45 Focus Blast Fighting Special   --       Destiny Bond Ghost Status   --       Spite Ghost Status   --       Lick Ghost Physical   --       Types: Dark Fire Ability: Flash Fire Held item: Sitrus Berry Houndoom♀ Lv.47 Nasty Plot Dark Status   --       Dark Pulse Dark Special   --       Flamethrower Fire Special   --       Crunch Dark Physical   --

Second Battle

File:KarenHGSS.gif Elite Four Karen Indigo Plateau HeartGold and SoulSilver Elite Four and Professor Karen Oak Indigo Plateau HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $7680

Types: Dark Ice Ability: Pressure Held item: None Weavile♀ Lv.62 Ice Punch Ice Physical   --       Night Slash Dark Physical   --       Low Kick Fighting Physical   --       Ice Shard Ice Physical   --       Types: Dark Unknown Ability: Super Luck Held item: None Absol♀ Lv.62 Detect Fighting Status   --       Perish Song Normal Status   --       Night Slash Dark Physical   --       Psycho Cut Psychic Physical   --       Types: Ghost Dark Ability: Pressure Held item: None Spiritomb♀ Lv.62 Curse ??? Status   --       Confuse Ray Ghost Status   --       Pain Split Normal Status   --       Sucker Punch Dark Physical   --       Types: Dark Fire Ability: Flash Fire Held item: None Houndoom♀ Lv.63 Nasty Plot Dark Status   --       Dark Pulse Dark Special   --       Flamethrower Fire Special   --       Sludge Bomb Poison Special   --       Types: Dark Flying Ability: Super Luck Held item: None Honchkrow♀ Lv.64 Thunder Wave Electric Status   --       Whirlwind Normal Status   --       Drill Peck Flying Physical   --       Sucker Punch Dark Physical   --       Types: Dark Unknown Ability: Synchronize Held item: Sitrus Berry Umbreon♂ Lv.64 Confuse Ray Ghost Status   --       Curse ??? Status   --       Payback Dark Physical   --       Sucker Punch Dark Physical   --

Pokémon Stadium 2

Round 1

Elite Four Karen Indigo Plateau Pokémon Stadium 2 Elite Four and Professor Karen Oak Indigo Plateau Pokémon Stadium 2 Reward: N/A

File:Spr 2 197.png Types: Dark Unknown Held item: Quick Claw Umbreon♀ Lv.50 Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Pursuit Dark   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Attract Normal   --       File:Spr 2 071.png Types: Grass Poison Held item: Mint Berry Victreebel♀ Lv.50 Stun Spore Grass   --       Acid Poison   --       Razor Leaf Grass   --       Attract Normal   --       File:Spr 2 198 m.png Types: Dark Flying Held item: Bitter Berry Murkrow♂ Lv.50 Mud-Slap Ground   --       Faint Attack Dark   --       Fly Flying   --       Attract Normal   --       File:Spr 2 126.png Types: Fire Unknown Held item: None Magmar♂ Lv.50 Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Fire Punch Fire   --       Thief Dark   --       Attract Normal   --       File:Spr 2 094.png Types: Ghost Poison Held item: PRZCureBerry Gengar♂ Lv.50 Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Psychic Psychic   --       Lick Ghost   --       Attract Normal   --       File:Spr 2 045 m.png Types: Grass Poison Held item: Ice Berry Vileplume♀ Lv.50 Stun Spore Grass   --       Giga Drain Grass   --       Sludge Bomb Poison   --       Attract Normal   --

Round 2

Elite Four Karen Indigo Plateau Pokémon Stadium 2 Elite Four and Professor Karen Oak Indigo Plateau Pokémon Stadium 2 Reward: N/A

File:Spr 2 197.png Types: Dark Unknown Held item: Focus Band Umbreon♂ Lv.50 Swagger Normal   --       Screech Normal   --       Faint Attack Dark   --       Psychic Psychic   --       File:Spr 2 080.png Types: Water Psychic Held item: Quick Claw Slowbro♀ Lv.50 Swagger Normal   --       Surf Water   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       Submission Fighting   --       File:Spr 2 101.png Types: Electric Unknown Held item: King's Rock Electrode Lv.50 Swagger Normal   --       Headbutt Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       File:Spr 2 053.png Types: Normal Unknown Held item: Bright Powder Persian♂ Lv.50 Swagger Normal   --       Screech Normal   --       Headbutt Normal   --       Shadow Ball Ghost   --       File:Spr 2 198 m.png Types: Dark Flying Held item: Scope Lens Murkrow♂ Lv.50 Swagger Normal   --       Mean Look Normal   --       Psych Up Normal   --       Drill Peck Flying   --       File:Spr 2 200.png Types: Ghost Unknown Held item: Mystery Berry Misdreavus♀ Lv.50 Mean Look Normal   --       Perish Song Normal   --       Pain Split Normal   --       Psychic Psychic   --

Quotes

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

Karen's artwork from Gold, Silver, and Crystal

• Before battle

"I am Karen of the Elite Four. You're <player>? How amusing. I love Dark-type Pokémon. I find their wild, tough image to be so appealing. And they're so strong. Think you can take them? Just try to entertain me. Let's go."

• When defeated

"Well, aren't you good. I like that in a Trainer."

• After being defeated

"Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites. I like your style. You understand what's important. Go on—the Champion is waiting."

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

• Before battle

"I am Karen of the Elite Four. You're <player>? How amusing. I love Dark-type Pokémon. I'm known for my overpowering tactics. Think you can take them? Just try to entertain me. Let's go."

• After sending out last Pokémon

"This is far from being backed into a corner!"

• During battle

"You're no ordinary Trainer to have gotten this far."

• When defeated

"Well, aren't you good. I like that in a Trainer."

• After being defeated

"Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled Trainers should try to win with the Pokémon they love best. I like your style. You understand what's important. Go on—the Champion is waiting."

Sprites

File:GSC Karen.gif	File:KarenHGSS.gif
Karen's sprite from Generation II	Karen's sprite from Generation IV	Karen's VS sprite from Generation IV	Karen's artwork from Pokémon Stadium 2

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Karen

Karen, along with Will, Green, Silver, Sham, and Carl, is one of the children kidnapped by the Masked Man and raised to be his servants. Karen was one of the leaders of the new Team Rocket formed in Johto. Unlike Silver and Green, she and Will were willing members of the evil man's cohorts, having been inducted as one of his followers at the age of eleven, and continuously trained. They expected a surefire victory against Green, which seemed feasible with Ho-Oh and Lugia under their command. However, with the resistance of Green and her friends Red and Blue each commanding one of the legendary birds of Kanto, and the help of many other Pokémon sent from all across Johto and Kanto, Ho-Oh and Lugia were freed. Karen then fled with Will.

After the Masked Man was defeated, Karen formed an alliance with Bruno, Will, and Koga; the four of them are all ex-members of various criminal organizations. They later reappear in the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc as the new official Elite 4 of Johto.

Pokémon

This listing is of Karen's Pokémon in the Pokémon Adventures manga.

Umbreon

Debut	The Last Battle VII

Karen's Umbreon is the cornerstone of her team. It was called out to battle Green's Snubbull. During the battle, it was shown to be very tough as it was able to stop a Bite attack. It was knocked back by a Take Down along with Charm.

In a flashback of Escape, it was revealed that her Umbreon evolved from an Eevee when she was a child during the time the Masked Man caught her.

Umbreon's known moves are Faint Attack and Moonlight.

Murkrow (×2)

Debut	The Last Battle VII

Karen used these two Murkrow for mostly flight support.

Both Murkrow were not seen using any other moves.

Houndoom

Debut	Unknown

Karen's Houndoom was one of her Pokémon introduced in the HGSS volume. It is unknown what role it took.

In the TCG

This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Karen or her Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Name	Type	Level	Rarity	Set	Set no.
Karen's Rapidash		-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	87/141
Karen's Magmar		-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	88/141
Karen's Flareon		-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	89/141
Karen's Tyranitar		-	H	Pokémon VS (no English release)	90/141
Karen's Umbreon		-	H	Pokémon VS (no English release)	91/141
Karen's Houndoom		-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	92/141
Karen's TM 01	-	-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	125/141
Karen's TM 02	-	-		Pokémon VS (no English release)	126/141

Trivia

• Due to the palette used in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, it was debated for a long time whether Karen's hair was officially silver or blonde. Much like the official artwork and Pokémon Stadium 2 artwork of her, however, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver's overworld sprites depict her with silver hair.
• In Generation II, her hair is depicted as being shoulder length. In Generation IV, it is depicted reaching down to her hips.
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Karen is the only member of the Elite Four who uses a different final Pokémon from the first match. In her case, she replaces Houndoom with Absol, though Houndoom is still present.
  • Considering the level and the Sitrus Berry, her main Pokémon in the rematch seems to be Umbreon.
  • Since she states that she loves how cunning and deceptive Dark-types are, she may very well be wearing bright colors to deceive the foe as to what type she really uses.
• In her rematch in HeartGold and SoulSilver, Karen is the only member of the Elite Four who does not use a Pokémon from a three-stage evolutionary line.
• Of the three current notable Dark-type specialists (Sidney, Giima and herself), she is the only one who is female.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	カリン Karin	From 花梨, a Burmese Rosewood.
English, Italian	Karen	Similar to Japanese name.
French	Marion	It contains the word noir (black) backwards.
German	Melanie	Derived from the ancient Greek word μέλας/melas, meaning "black" or "dark". It's also similar to Melancholie, melancholia.
Spanish	Karen*	Similar to Japanese name.
	Morgana*	From Morgan le Fay.
Korean	카렌 Karen	Similar to Japanese name.
Chinese (Taiwan)	梨花 Líhuā	From 花梨 Karin, with the characters reversed.
Chinese (PRC)	梨林 Lílín	梨 is from 花梨 Karin. 林 lín (forest) may be from 林 rin. May be a reference to Lilin.

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.